Chapter 495: Chapter 317

“Father has moved to the estate, saying he will accompany Mother to recover from her illness.”

Chun An sighed: As he said before, one must know how to diagnose and treat diseases; otherwise, you wouldn’t even know if your biological mother’s medication had been swapped.

“Father said he also bears responsibility for Mother’s condition.”

Third Master Xiao deeply regretted it, realizing that merely sending his sick wife to recover at the estate allowed villains an opportunity.

“It is good that Uncle is going to accompany Aunt on her recovery; a better mood aids in faster recovery.”

Chun Nuan doubted her own medical skills but never suspected that Aunt’s medication could be swapped by the Huang family.

“Today, let’s discuss acupuncture points…”

While Chun Nuan was speaking, a maid came to report: Someone from the palace had arrived.

The purpose this time was straightforward: the Prince indeed appeared jaundiced; Chun Nuan and Panpan were requested to visit the palace.

“Did the palace physicians give the royal nephew medicine?”

Panpan immediately became anxious and asked.

“Medicine was administered, but the Prince’s status is too noble, so the wet nurse takes the medicine and then feeds it to the Prince.”

“That’s useless.”

Panpan blurted out rudely.

Chun Nuan glanced at Panpan, wanting to remind her: You are a Princess!

Honestly, hearing Panpan curse like that gave Chun Nuan some satisfaction.

When a child is ill, having the wet nurse take medicine is like scratching an itch through a boot—completely ineffective!

Chun Nuan and Panpan entered the palace.

They saw the Little Prince’s entire skin and sclera were jaundiced.

“Has the urine turned yellow?”

The wet nurse shook her head.

“Speak! Does it mean it hasn’t turned yellow or what?”

“The servant didn’t notice.”

Chun Nuan sighed again.

These matters really require someone who understands medicine.

“What medicine did the physician prescribe?”

“Hurry and bring the prescription from the physician.”

Immediately, palace servants went to retrieve the physician’s prescription.

Doctor Lin and Doctor Yu watched as Chun Nuan arrived, feeling a mix of anticipation and apprehension, with an added sense of reverence when thinking of her grandfather.

“Is all this medicine for the wet nurse to consume?”

“Yes, the Little Prince is too young to take medicine himself.”

Chun Nuan handed the prescription to Panpan to examine.

“These medicines are useless.” Panpan, being a child and a princess, spoke without considering holding back: “You can’t cure illnesses like this, you…”

Some words she left unsaid, for after all, she was just a child.

“Aunt, do you think this works?”

Panpan directly pulled out a prescription slip from her little cloth bag.

After reading it, Chun Nuan nodded.

“Artemisia, rhubarb, fried gardenia, broad pennywort, bitter orange, poria…”

The child indeed has talent, aligning with her thoughts: medicinal bath!

“Where is the pharmacy? I will personally select the medicine.”

After the incident with Mrs. Huang, Chun Nuan now suspects everyone she meets is a villain.

Even to harm Mrs. Huang, not to mention the Little Prince.

Anything she handles is bound to be flawless.

Selecting medicine, brewing medicine, and overseeing the Little Prince’s bathing—she monitored everything herself.

“This medicine package is what I prepared personally. The Empress should have someone store it, brew it daily, and use it for the Little Prince’s bath. Be cautious not to wet the navel during bathing.”

“I understand, Your Grace.”

The Empress Dowager nodded immediately.

Indeed, ten imperial physicians don’t match up to one Chun Nuan.

What surprised her was Panpan’s remarkable abilities.

“Mother Empress, I’m learning medicine from Aunt. I am one of Aunt’s closed-door disciples.”

“Oh? I wonder who else your aunt has as disciples?”

“Many! In Changzhou, there are several elder sisters, and in the mansion, there is Uncle Chun An and Cousin Muyang.”

“Your aunt is truly remarkable.”

“Your Grace overpraises.”

Chun Nuan didn’t expect Panpan would reveal family details so spontaneously.

As always, Chun Nuan never intended for Chun An and Muyang to enter the palace someday.

If not serving as an excellent minister, then as an excellent physician, learning medicine mainly aims to rescue the common people from dire conditions, rather than being trapped in the deep confines of the palace where life is precarious with possible loss of one’s own life or even a family’s.

Hence, externally, Chun Nuan did not disclose about taking Chun An and Muyang as disciples.

However, since Panpan mentioned it, there was no help for it.

“Chun Nuan, you’ve accepted female disciples in Changzhou?”

The Empress Dowager was very surprised.

Having her niece Panpan as a female disciple was understandable, but what was the relationship with the female disciples from Changzhou?

“To answer Your Grace, indeed such matters exist. Changzhou is quite accommodating to women, considering that it is inconvenient for women to have their illnesses diagnosed by male doctors…”

She then recounted to the Empress Dowager the causes and effects of accepting female disciples.

The Empress Dowager nodded.

“Would you be willing to accept female disciples here in the Capital?”

How wonderful, for women’s illnesses to be treated by female physicians, without requiring male doctors, alleviating their embarrassment and overcoming the difficulty of speaking of it.

“Is this the intention of the Empress Dowager?”

“I am also a woman, well aware of the hardships faced by women,” the Empress Dowager said. “You are a remarkable female doctor; I know you well. If you can teach a group of female disciples in the Capital, it would be a blessing for the women here, even for the women across Great Zhou.”

“Chun Nuan is willing to strive for that.”

“Excellent. I will issue an imperial edict to directly establish a Women’s Medical College, managed and taught by you, would that be feasible?”

“What about the backgrounds of the women studying medicine?”

“Regardless of background, anyone with talent, who can endure hardship and is willing to learn, may come.” The Empress Dowager profoundly understands the difficulties women face in society, especially commoner women, who endure greater hardships. Those who can master medicine will surely benefit other women.”

“Thank you, Empress Dowager!”

This gratitude from Chun Nuan was for the Empress Dowager speaking up for women, striving for welfare for them.

With the nation’s supreme Empress Dowager emphasizing this matter, it would gain public acceptance, receiving support instead of being dismissed as nonsense.

The Empress Dowager was also known for her decisiveness.

Very soon, she issued an imperial edict, appointing Chun Nuan as the Mountain Master of Chunshan Women’s Medical College, with Chun Nuan selecting teachers, recruiting female students, all funded by the Empress Dowager.

“Since Mother Empress is investing in Chun Nuan’s administration, I also wish to express my support.” The Empress, upon hearing this, contributed two thousand taels of silver: “I hope Chun Nuan can cultivate more outstanding female disciples, alleviating the worries and difficulties of many women.”

With the Empress Dowager’s edict, the Empress also contributed to establishing the Women’s Medical College. Other concubines of the late Emperor donated too, and some even quickly spread the word to have eligible family women study medicine with Chun Nuan.

“Studying medicine for what? Women should learn the arts and literature. Learning medicine might not even let them diagnose the sick, tarnishing their daughters? Absolutely not, they can’t study medicine.”

Upon hearing, many wives from large households immediately opposed it.

“I think learning medicine is beneficial,” Mrs. Qiu nodded. “Our Qin is nine years old now, let’s ask Chun Nuan if Qin can go and learn with her?”

“Mother, I’m concerned Qin might not be able to endure such hardship,” Qiu Yan commented while savoring sour plums: “If I had met Chun Nuan earlier, I would have followed her to learn medicine.”

“You?” Mrs. Qiu laughed exasperatedly: “Qin is more resilient than you in learning medicine…”

Mrs. Qiu felt fortunate her daughter could marry off, hardly daring to hope she could learn much else.

Examining her today, truly unchanged pre- and post-marriage, simply enjoying her comfortable life at Zhao Mansion.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep